Richard Haynes

Richard "Racehorse" Haynes (born April 3, 1927) is a Texas criminal defense attorney. TIME magazine once referred to him as one of the top six criminal lawyers in America. A native of Houston, Texas, he graduated from the University of Houston Law Center in 1956. He has been involved in landmark cases such as The State of Texas v. John Hill (a basis for the book Blood and Money), and the notorious T. Cullen Davis murder trial. He also represented Morganna, a.k.a. "The Kissing Bandit" and Vickie Daniel, who was the wife of Price Daniel, Jr..

At a late 1970s American Bar Association seminar in New York [1], Mr. Haynes explained how to plead in the alternative:

Say you sue me because you say my dog bit you. Well, now this is my defense:

• My dog doesn't bite.
• And second, in the alternative, my dog was tied up that night.
• And third, I don't believe you really got bit.
• And fourth, I don't have a dog.

Mr. Haynes currently resides in Houston, Texas and continues to actively practice law.

Mr. Haynes served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Mr. Haynes participated in the battle for Iwo Jima at the age of 17. The Marines hit the beach from small landing crafts under heavy enemy fire. The Marines exited the landing craft in the water and ran towards the beach. Many of the Marines were killed while still in the water. While on the beach and firing at the Japanese, Mr. Haynes noticed a fellow Marine still in the water and wounded. The Marine was wounded too severely to get himself out of the water.

Racehorse Haynes left his position on the beach while under heavy enemy machinegun, mortar and artillery fire. He went back into the water, while under heavy enemy fire, picked up the wounded Marine and brought the wounded Marine to a safer position on the beach where a Navy Corpsman came to the Marine's aid. Racehorse Haynes saved his fellow Marine's life. Mr. Haynes was decorated with a medal for his heroic actions during the battle for Iwo Jima at the ripe young age of 17.

During the battle, and several weeks after he saved the life of his fellow Marine, Racehorse Haynes was wounded by Japanese shrapnel. The battle for Iwo Jima was a horrific and tenacious fight. For 39 days straight a Marine was killed by enemy fire every 2 minutes. As a Marine, Mr. Haynes fought on several more islands throughout World War II.

References

• The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, October 31, 1978, reprinted spring 1980 in a small circulation magazine, available here.

External links

• Racehorce Haynes - a Court TV profile